Altered bowel movement times

This topic contains 9 replies, has 9 voices, and was last updated by D.Cozz 8 years, 9 months ago.

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squeakles

7:55 am
4 Mar 15
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Hubby and I started the fast diet on 9th February. I am ok with it, lost 6.5 lbs and hardly noticing the hunger on fast days. Hubby is also ok with the hunger but is having problems with disrupted bowel movements the day after his fasts.

He definitely does not want to give up but needs help. He’s always had a dodgy constitution and eats a bran based breakfast cereal and lots of veg/salad throughout a normal day. But the reduced fibre on fast days affects him immediately. Is he being too strict about avoiding fibre (and therefore calories) on fast days, or is there a golden foodstuff he can eat that will restore his bowel movement routine without compromising his fast.

This lifestyle is the only one I have managed to get him to try to control his weight. He has bought the science (he’s an engineer so the science matters to him!), and he is mentally accepting that it is for ‘life’, so I need to find a solution to this teething problem asap!

Thanks for reading

Squeakles

TracyJ

1:41 pm
4 Mar 15
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I think maybe there’s a confusion between cutting out carbs and cutting out fiber on fastdays. You don’t have to rely on bran flakes for your fiber on any day, all vegetables have a fair bit of fiber but some are packed with it and still a good way of avoiding carbs & sugars that can up the calorie content. Here’s a list of a few high fiber foods I found from a quick google: http://greatist.com/health/surprising-high-fiber-foods Dot some of these through the fastdays and I’m sure they’ll have an ‘effect’ 😉

PeelyWally

5:28 pm
4 Mar 15
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Couldn’t he have his bowl of bran flakes on fast days as well ? Myfitnesspal comes up with around 166 calories for a bowl with semi-skimmed milk. That would leave him nearly 450 calories for other meals on a fast day.
He doesn’t have to avoid fibre or anything else on any day, fast day or not.

bombshell

7:20 am
14 Mar 15
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Pears are magic. Have been struggling similarly to the point where I was thinking I couldn’t stay on the diet.Pick one that is relatively ripe and I’m sure it will work. I’ve swapped all my fast day apples for pears now.
Good luck !

Amazon

2:40 pm
14 Mar 15
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Why can’t he eat a bran based breakfast and lots of veg/salad on a fast day?
Is he drinking extra fluid on FDs because that makes a hug difference.

FatGraham

3:16 pm
14 Mar 15
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Someone on another thread mentioned Psyllium Husks, which is the same stuff they put in Fybogel. I put a couple of spoons into a glass of water and drink it straight away (it absorbs water and swells to a consistency of thick wallpaper paste if it’s left too long) followed by another glass of water straight after and I’ll be sat on the toilet within a couple of hours. Also makes me feel fuller, so ideal for fast days.

Porky Baker

11:07 am
6 Jun 15
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There is a commercial product that is much easier to take than raw Psyllium: Lepicol. On the high street in the UK it’s generally only available as a powder, but it can be found in capsule form online. It has the added advantage of containing a mix of pro-biotic bacteria cultures. Although it is not clear (I have not looked for scientific evidence) how effective the pro-biotic bacteria are, I’ve found the product very effective.

fitnfast

9:44 am
7 Jun 15
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Above all great info! I personally added magnesium supplement to my diet. And an occasional laxative. I take strong pain medication that makes it even worse! Plus lots and lots of water!

Porky Baker

10:05 am
7 Jun 15
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On the basis of TMI I did not post my own experiences, but I think lots of water on fast days is the key – and has been my downfall, as I hate drinking water. I ran through a few of the topic threads, and also found Kiwi fruit and pears given honourable mention as – er – accelerants. Water-extracted prune juice is another natural product that has been effective for me: in the UK this can be found in Sainbury’s and maybe other store chains.

D.Cozz

11:38 pm
22 Jul 15
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Has anyone experienced light colored stools? I’ve been on 5:2 for about three weeks and for almost a week my stool has changed to this tanish color… I did some online research and it says that is a symptom of a fatty liver. Rapid weight loss can cause it apparently… I don’t want to damage my liver! Has this happened to anyone and if so did it go away for you?